


A Little Taste

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 15:40:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15440274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: Bucky's home after a SHIELD mission, so he and Natasha can have some quality time together.





	A Little Taste

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [FY buckynat 2018 mini bang.](http://fuckyeahbuckynatasha.tumblr.com/minibang) This is going to be some sort of weird continuity where the pain of Infinity War didn't happen, there is no such thing as the Sokovia Accords, SHIELD wasn't infiltrated by HYDRA, and Bucky is seen as the POW that he is.
> 
> [Art](http://yawpkatsi.tumblr.com/post/176301169587/a-little-taste-author-eustacia-vye-artist) is by the lovely [yawpkatsi!](http://yawpkatsi.tumblr.com/)

Natasha Romanoff was one of the most feared agents of SHIELD due to her indomitable skill set and ability to complete any mission assigned to her, even those without an extraction plan. Even evoking her name sometimes was enough to scare junior agents into line. It was something of a reputation that she had liked to cultivate, even though it often left her on her own after hours, with few invites for SHIELD functions.

Actually, that was just how she liked it.

Off site, she had a small apartment in Little Ukraine. It didn't look like much from the outside, and even at first glance the interior didn't seem like the kind of apartment a fearsome spy and agent of SHIELD would live. The furniture was rather plain, and there weren't many personal items or pictures on the walls.

Of most importance to her was how _sturdy_ said furniture was. Even if there weren't a lot of decorative frills to speak to a personality, everything in her apartment was reinforced and capable of industrial strength forces applied to it.

This was because of her apartment's other occupant, Bucky Barnes.

Said occupant was lying sprawled across the couch, metal arm flung over the side so that his fingers touched the floor. He was fast asleep, wearing nothing more than loose boxers and a tank top, hair messy and loose. It had been a long night, and he had only just gotten back from the hush-hush mission he was assigned. He had been gone for two weeks, so Natasha had the bed and couch all to herself. She could sprawl across them all she liked, snack on chips and wine while watching TV or reading a book, or do calisthenics without bumping into his boots or weapons that he tended to leave strewn about.

Still, she preferred having him around when she decided to dance around the living room to classical music or do yoga in her underwear. It was nice to have an appreciative audience for that kind of thing, and she missed the loopy smile he would give her when she twisted and moved, showing off how flexible she was.

Natasha couldn't help but give him a fond smile as she left her bedroom and found him on the couch. Silly Bucky, he could have woken her up if he came in late. Instead, he'd crashed after stripping down and tossing everything around the living room. She had gone to bed in one of his oversized T shirts and underwear, and her hair was a mess. Even so, if she woke him now, he would grin up at her and say she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Bending over to press a soft kiss to his forehead, she brushed some of the hair away from his face. It had obviously been a rough mission for him to sleep so hard and so soundly as soon as he had come in. Even this gentle movement was usually enough to wake him.

She wasn't about to pick up his mess when this was a perfectly good opportunity to tease him when he woke up. That fond smile still on her face, she walked over to her kitchen and poked around the cabinets and fridge to figure out what she could make as breakfast. Natasha turned on the radio and rattled the doors deliberately; she was too used to silence normally, but she fully intended to wake up Bucky and lovingly hassle him, then have breakfast ready to make up for it. He'd forgive her anything anyway, but it was part of the fun in the game.

There weren't set rules, exactly. It had started the first time she had been exhausted and face planted on the bed, not even peeling off her nanomesh catsuit or getting under the covers. He'd laughed at her, called her a poor excuse for a spy, then presented her with sliced fruit, toast, jam and freshly squeezed orange juice "for a personal touch" as her breakfast in bed.

Whisking up a half dozen eggs, Natasha set about to making a fluffy omelette with vegetables and diced ham in it. The smell would draw him out of sleep soon enough, though if she had known he was finishing up his mission she would have gotten some bacon. That would have woken him almost instantly.

Bucky was fairly stealthy as a sniper, but she was aware of him padding into the kitchen despite the silence. She grinned as he wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Mornin'," he mumbled sleepily into her skin.

Leaning into his embrace, Natasha grinned and patted his arm. "Tough job?"

"They all are, lately," he agreed, still mumbling.

"You could've come into bed with me," she reminded him as she turned around in his arms. "I wouldn't've minded."

"I was a mess," he said with a rueful smile. "You'dve minded."

"Oh, so you'll toss your stuff all over my floor and make a bigger mess?" she shot back, a playful twist to her lips.

Bucky chuckled. "I was hoping I'd get up before you and clean it up."

"Mission failure, Sergeant," Natasha teased, tilting up her head for a kiss.

Of course he obliged her. The kiss was soft and gentle, a light press of lips and the scrape of his stubble. "Need me to shave?" he asked, nipping her nose playfully.

"You clean up and I'll finish breakfast," she said with a smile, letting her hands trail up and down his back before swatting his rear. "That's an order."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," he snarked back with a grin.

Natasha laughed to herself as he left the kitchen, and turned up the radio so that it would be louder than the running water in the bathroom. She sang along with the song playing, shimmying her hips as she danced a little bit while cooking. It was a good morning, why _shouldn't_ she dance?

When Bucky returned, he had pulled off the tank top and was just in boxers, his chin and cheeks whisper smooth and his hair wet and brushed back. She plated the omelettes and laughed when he caught her up in his arms and pressed dozens of tiny kisses onto her face, spinning her around in a circle. "Let's dance, doll."

"Your breakfast will get cold!" she protested, tapping his shoulder.

"We can nuke it." He leaned in for a kiss, which she obliged him with, and then leaned his head back with a rakish grin on his lips. "This is more important, anyway."

"Oh, really?" she asked, lips quirking into a wry smile.

"Really," he replied, soppy grin firmly in place. He spun her around in an easy waltz even though it was poppy dance music on the radio. "I was stuck in a dank rat hole for almost two weeks, and all I had to think about was what I'd want to do when I came back home to you."

She returned his smile with one of her own, a pleased light in her eyes. "And what exactly did you think about?"

"Exactly?"

"To the last detail. Like a mission report." She narrowed her eyes fractionally at him. "You _did_ do your mission report, right? The last thing we need is to get all worked up and then SHIELD calls halfway through it all—"

Bucky laughed, a lighthearted sound that always sent Natasha's heart soaring. "Sure thing. It's part of why I was so late getting home last night. I finished every scrap of paper they gave me and all of the electronic files, too. All the I's are dotted and T's are crossed."

"Maybe it _wasn't_ a mission failure, then," Natasha teased, reaching up to tweak his nose in a playful gesture.

"I _can_ be taught!" he declared in the same tone.

"So what were you thinking?" she asked as he decided to do a lazy spin around the kitchen as the song on the radio was ending.

He twirled her first, then pulled her in so that her back was flush against his chest, their arms crossed over hers. He ducked his head down to kiss her temple. "Of you. Like this, just like this, warm and happy and here."

"You're such a sap."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed, nodding and kissing her temple again. "I'd hold you until you got tired of that, and squirm to get out."

"As if I'd do that," she scoffed, wiggling her rear against the front of his boxers.

Bucky laughed and nipped her earlobe. "But you can get impatient."

Natasha wiggled her rear a little more. "And you don't?"

"I bet I could last out longer than you."

"Pft. Since when?"

"Uh..." Bucky stopped moving and licked the shell of her ear as he thought. "Huh. I can't remember. I guess you _are_ more patient than I am. At least for that."

She dropped her hands down from their crossed arms and reached behind her, cupping his rear and kneading it a bit. "I'll admit to not playing fair, either."

He heard the laughter in her voice and nipped her earlobe. "Wouldn't be as much fun if you did."

"You like working hard." She sucked in a breath when he shifted his hands across her chest, rubbing her nipples. "And playing hard."

"You, too."

"This can't be all you were thinking about," she chided, a little breathless from the teasing.

"Nah," he agreed, dropping his hands to cup and fondle her breasts, palms rubbing against her sensitive nipples. "Only what I was willing to say out loud."

"The other agents would never ask you anything!"

"In between bouts of cards, they asked general stuff. Whatever to keep our minds off the waiting involved. It was dead boring."

Natasha didn't feel the need to pry about the mission itself, so she just turned in his embrace and looped her arms around his neck. "So now that it's just you and me, you can tell me everything that you were _really_ thinking about."

Bucky grinned her, eyes dancing in amusement. "Are you sure you only want me to tell you?"

"So now you're all about showing and not telling?"

He leaned his head down and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Don't you think that'll be more fun for both of us, doll?"

"I think you have a lot more to make up to me for," Natasha teased, rising up to her tip toes to plant a kiss on his lips. "Trashing my living room..."

Snorting and rolling his eyes, Bucky shook his head. "Tossing clothes around is _not_ trashing your living room."

"I happen to like things neat and clean in _my_ living space."

"I was planning to get everything sorted out before you woke up!"

"Apparently you've been away for too long if you thought I'd actually sleep in."

Bucky swatted her butt in playful retaliation. "Brat. And to think I was looking forward to coming home once the mission was over."

Natasha grinned at him, eyes alight with mischief. "Do you remember what you were planning?" she asked, shooting him a playful smirk. "Sometimes you have a hard time keeping up."

Swatting her rear, Bucky mock growled at her. "I'll show you a hard time."

"Promises, promises..."

"You say that like I haven't been able to."

Practically giggling, Natasha slipped out of his arms and did a pirouette to get out of reach. "Oh, there's that thought that the past can predict the future. But I've always been a fan of getting new research. Really digging in deep and finding out for myself if that's the case." She waggled her fingers at him as a taunt and stepped backward with a hop when Bucky reached out as if to grab her. "Too slow, old man."

Bucky growled and stalked forward with that murder strut that he knew she liked so well. "I am going to get you for that one."

Now she was definitely giggling, and it devolved into outright laughter as she leaped out of his way and damn near danced through the living room. Natasha even added insult to injury by grasping his discarded shirt with her toes and kicked it at his face.

"I'm _definitely_ going to get you!" he cried, lunging forward.

Natasha tucked and rolled away from him, laughing even harder, and came up on the other side of the couch. "You think you can actually catch me?"

"I _taught_ you—"

"Too slow!" she chortled as he lunged over the back of the couch and tumbled over it. She had vaulted backward away from his grasp in a graceful arc that he couldn't help but admire as he skidded across the carpet.

"This is _not_ how I thought this was going to happen," he grumbled, pushing himself up to his feet. He didn't really mean the glower he sent in her direction, and she still laughed at him. "I had a much different picture in mind."

"Did you plan for wine and roses and a candlelight dinner?" she asked in mock sympathy.

"That was one particular plan, since that usually goes over well."

"And it's been a while since we've had a chance to go out to a romantic dinner." Natasha laughed and danced out his grasp when he made another lunge across the floor at her.

"You're the one that got called away the last time!"

"It was you the time before that," she pointed out.

"We both have busy jobs," Bucky said, shaking his head.

"That we do." She smiled sweetly. "You'd be bored otherwise."

"So would you," he told her, inching forward. "I don't think you know how _not_ to be busy. Or do you?"

She was still smiling as she put her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that I was able to sit on the deck and have a glass of wine the other day without thinking of a mission. I even pet Liho and everything."

"Where is that cat?"

"Somewhere. She comes and goes as she pleases."

Bucky lunged forward and caught her in his arms, making her laugh. "Got you."

"I _let_ you."

"Yeah? So? I still got you."

"Yes, you do," she purred, wriggling just enough to rub her chest against his. "And now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?"

"Just for making me chase you," he began in a threatening tone before tickling her sides. Natasha squeaked in surprise and twitched in his grasp, then pushed at his arms. She was laughing, though, and not really fighting him as hard as she could; she had always pulled her punches when she fought him, and this wasn't any different.

He tickled her mercilessly, and she laughed or writhed in his grasp. Her mussed hair got even more messy, and he dove for the strip of skin at her side that was exposed when she twisted and pulled her shirt up over her hip. Natasha's laughter turned into near shrieks, and now she turned to tickle him back. "I'mma get you for that!"

"Couldn't let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste..."

The tickling intensified between the two of them, until Bucky deliberately tripped her so that she would tumble onto him in a sprawl. "Cheater," she groused once they fetched up on the floor.

Laughing, he kissed her in reply. "Don't they say all's fair in love and war?" he teased as he threaded his hands through her hair, pulling her close.

Natasha nipped at his lower lip then caught it between her teeth. "So are we at war?"

"Only if that makes up for the mission failure."

She grinned. "Are you really taking that seriously?"

"Anything to do you with you, I take seriously."

"You're such a sap."

"And all yours."

"Good," she purred, pulling back long enough to whip off her shirt. "Because this is all yours."

Natasha laughed as his eyes widened and he licked his lips. "Mmmm. I definitely like what I see." He reached up to play with her breasts a bit, thumbing the nipples. As she sucked in a breath at the contact, he grinned. "And hear."

"Plan on making me scream?" she asked breathlessly, reaching down to run her fingers through his hair, nails scraping lightly against his scalp.

"Loud enough to make the neighbors complain."

"Better get to it, soldier," she said, a feral grin on her face.

Bucky reared up to grasp a nipple between his lips, making her gasp in delight. Shifting position, he sat up and she straddled his lap. That let him take a little more into his mouth, letting him lave the nipple with his tongue. 

Natasha threw her head back and closed her eyes so that she could focus on the feel of his mouth on her, both of his hands against her bare back. The metal hand had warmed up but was cooler than his flesh one, automatic sensory play added to the fun. Loose strands of her hair tickled her back, but that was easier to tune out as she ran her hands along his shoulders. There was the feel of his muscles shifting beneath the skin, subtle changes as he stroked her. He hummed a bit, a pleased little sound, and she sucked in a deeper breath. She could feel that sensation exactly where his mouth met her breast, and it was such a delicious feeling.

Time lost meaning as she let herself focus on the pleasure. He was teasing her, deliberately drawing it out so that she would be an eager, whimpering mess. Natasha didn't ever beg for what she wanted, but sometimes he was able to get her close to that point. It seemed as though this was going to be one of those times.

Natasha reached down his back with one hand, running her nails up and down his spine when he switched to suckle her other breast. Her other hand was tight at the nape of his neck, keeping his mouth anchored in place. She felt the ache between her legs, the wetness building up, and moaned low in her throat, need building up. She murmured soft encouragement, alternating between English and Russian, eyes still closed.

When Bucky pulled back, she made a low sound of protest. Her chin came down and her eyes opened to glare at him. "Don't you dare stop, you tease."

He laughed and let his hands drop down to her panties. "Well, these are kinda in the way, doll. I think we'll have lots more fun without 'em."

"Only if you lose yours."

Both hurried to get out of their underwear, and Bucky couldn't help but laugh when Natasha carelessly tossed her panties to the side, not caring where they landed. "What?" she asked in a cocky manner. "I'll pick 'em up later."

Instead of answering, he caught her in his arms and kissed her, mouth open so he could slide his tongue into her mouth. Now he stroked her tongue, the seam of her lips, the top of her lower teeth. Her own tongue slid along his, licking whatever she could before she had to break for breath. She smiled against his mouth and ran her nails along his back hard enough to leave marks. It was clearly saying _mine,_ and he chuckled at the sensation.

Moving so that he could lie on his back, he grinned up at Natasha's questioning gaze. "You were gonna feed me, right? So let me eat you out."

She groaned at his awful pun and shook her head. "You're such a goofball."

"Yup," he replied with that same grin, popping the p. "Now c'mere."

Natasha shifted position to straddle him, then knee-walked her way forward until she was poised over his waiting mouth. Bucky grasped her hips and brought her down so that he could easily lick into her. He traced the folds of her, licking up the growing moisture. Natasha made a soft mewling sound, making him smile as he thrust his tongue up into her. She had one hand up to cup her own breast, and the other reached down to grasp his shoulder, bracing herself against him to stay steady.

He licked at her in circles, avoiding her clit until her noises were particularly high pitched and needy. Bucky licked her clit fast and hard, just as he knew she liked it, making her gasp and moan. She bit her lip and pinched her own nipple as she threw her head back. He moved his left hand around her hip so that he could dip a finger inside her slick channel. Natasha moaned, a low sound that went straight to his groin and had his cock twitching in anticipation. She knew what his growl meant, and reached behind her blindly until she caught his cock.

Bucky growled with desire as she stroked him, her palm abrading the tip of his cock. His hips tilted up and he took her clit between his lips to suck on it. Natasha made a startled but pleased noise, and the hand at her breast fell to grab his hair. It was a tight grip, an edge of pain that didn't dull his wanting at all. If anything, that spurred him on to suck a little harder, until his breath wheezed in his chest and he had to let go to breathe. His jaw ached, he needed air, and Natasha was _close._

He moved her so that his metal hand had easier access. One finger slid in too easily, so he added a second one. Natasha hissed _"Yes,"_ and gasped as her hips jerked. "Just like that."

"As you wish."

"Oh my god, you _dork."_

"If you get the reference, obviously I haven't quite done my job yet."

Natasha didn't get a chance to ask anything, because he started to move his fingers. Slow at first, a teasing kind of rhythm, making her suck in a breath and look down at him with such devotion and love that it took his breath away.

Increasing the speed, he gradually started twisting his fingers inside of her, making sure to hit the spot that made her gasp and wriggle. Bucky found himself crooning at her in Russian, telling her how beautiful she was, how amazing she tasted, that he needed to see her come as much as he needed to breathe. Her breath hitched and her hips jerked against him, making his fingers slide even deeper inside of her.

Once she came, clenching down around his metal fingers, he withdrew them and licked the taste of her off as she watched. "Delicious," he said with a smile, pushing at her with his flesh hand so that she would lie down on the floor. He shifted position to hover over her, straddling her hips. It let her easily see the dedication and love for her in his eyes, the soft curl of his lips as he smiled at her splayed limbs. He leaned down, sliding his metal fingers back inside her, working her in a steady rhythm as he stroked her breasts with his flesh fingers.

Natasha was never one to leave things alone if she could do something better. Her breath came in shallow pants, and she reached between them to catch his cock in her palm again. She stroked him in time to his thrusting fingers, grinning when he groaned.

"I can play with you, too."

"Yes, please," he groaned, tilting his hips so her wrist would have an easier time of it.

He thrust into her hand as she hummed and tilted her hips up for him. "That's not all of you that I want," she told him.

"Feeling greedy?"

"It's not greed if you're mine," she told him, her grin fierce and possessive.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," he snarked, sliding his fingers out of her.

Natasha tugged on his cock, making him reposition himself as she shimmied a bit. A little effort to line everything up, but she moaned in satisfaction when he slid into her. _"Yes,"_ she growled, reaching up to grasp his ass and pull him in, driving his strokes deeper into her.

"Definitely greedy," he laughed, leaning over her. He propped himself up on one hand and used the other to tilt her hip.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then gasped as he pushed deep into her. Now it Bucky's turn to grin fiercely as he moved, deep thrusts that were hard and fast and right up against a spot that made her arch up and close her eyes. All she could do was gasp and moan, hanging on as the pleasure built up inside of her. She clenched down tight as she approached orgasm again, fingers tightening on his ass.

"Close," she gasped.

"Oh yeah, I feel that," he groaned, barely able to get the words out. "Close, too."

"Don't come, don't come," she whimpered as she clenched tighter around him. Bucky's expression tightened and his eyes squeezed tight as he groaned, and she knew what that would mean. As much as he tried to still thrust into her, she could feel the difference right away. "Oh, no," she groaned in disappointment.

Bucky groaned. "There was no way to last with you feeling like that," he grumbled.

"I should make you wear a condom next time," she said, smacking his chest playfully.

"Can you even wait that long?" he teased, snaking a hand between them to rub at her clit. He grinned as she bucked beneath him in surprise, but then hissed as she clenched down hard around his sensitive cock.

Natasha only groaned, then bit her lip and met his eyes. "For you, I'd wait."

He stroked her clit then maneuvered himself over her so he could kiss her at the same time. She threaded her fingers through his hair, keeping him in place so that she could all but devour his mouth as he worked her to orgasm.

When she let her limbs fall loosely to the floor, Bucky levered himself up so that he could look down at her. He grinned shamelessly at the contented smile on her face, nearly chuckling at leaving her a boneless mess.

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"Isn't that the point?" he teased back, still grinning. "I missed you while I was gone."

"I missed you, too," she replied, reaching up to cup his face with one hand. She ran her thumb over his lower lip and gave him a goofy smile. "I don't like sleeping in our bed alone anymore. It doesn't feel right."

"Better than a concrete floor," he pointed out, turning his head to kiss her palm.

"Okay, fine, it is, but still not right."

Bucky lowered himself down, push up style, until he hovered just above her lips. "I'm home now, and apparently I won't be assigned for another mission for a while."

"Is that so?" she asked, pleased, sliding her arms around his shoulders.

His answer was interrupted by his rumbling stomach. He groaned and hung his head in embarrassment as Natasha laughed. "Maybe should've had that breakfast after all," he grumbled, eyes crinkling in the corners in amusement.

"I'm a sticky mess," she said, wrinkling her nose. "You heat up breakfast and I'll get cleaned up."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Bucky snarked, laughing when she swatted his shoulder as he got up.

He couldn't help but laugh harder when he noticed her hunting down his discarded underwear to clean up some of the dribble, then stuck her tongue out at him. "Have to do laundry anyway."

"Let's make a mess on the bed before you strip it down," Bucky suggested, waggling his eyebrows playfully.

"I thought you were hungry."

"Not _that_ hungry."

Laughing, Natasha shook her head and gathered up the clothes in the living room on her way to the bathroom.

Bucky was still grinning as he continued to walk over to the kitchen for breakfast.

***

Natasha had a small washer/dryer unit in her apartment, which sufficed when she had to wash her own clothes or take care of messes after a job and didn't want any odd looks at the Laundromat down the street. Between her clothes, Bucky's, and the thoroughly messy sheets on her bed, it would have taken at least a dozen loads to get it all clean. Walking to the Laundromat with Bucky felt oddly comforting, even if the Russian and Ukrainian grandmas all tutted at them rather disapprovingly. She had tried telling them that she didn't have an on-again, off-again relationship with Bucky, they both simply had jobs that involved a lot of travel. Still, it was nice to see that they cared about her emotional wellbeing, and that as much as they liked ogling Bucky themselves, they wanted the best for her.

Bucky flashed them all charming smiles and waved at them with his free hand, greeting them all in his best Russian accent. One of the Russian ladies sighed a bit, not quite approving of him but not quite disapproving, either. That clearly indicated that she wasn't happy with the fact that he wasn't marrying Natasha, but at least he was Russian.

She didn't disabuse the old babushka of the notion, and simply waved at her as well.

"This is highway robbery," Bucky grumbled, converting bills into quarters for the machines. "I hate to think how bad it would be if we didn't actually bring our own detergent."

Pointing to the dispenser on the wall, Natasha snorted. "It's not like we can't afford it."

"That's not the point," he grumbled. "I remember when it was a _nickel."_

"You're such an old man."

He flashed her an irritated look as he fed quarters into the machine. "It shouldn't cost this much just to get clean clothes!"

"You could've washed them all by hand," she pointed out with a laugh.

"Not the sheets," he grumbled.

"That's why some people have laundry lines, you know."

Bucky paused for a moment and stepped aside so Natasha could finish loading the machine. "I remember that, kinda. When I was a kid. Not as an adult, though."

Natasha tapped his cheek lightly in an affectionate gesture and gave him a fond smile. "Old. Man," she repeated.

"Not what you were saying this morning," he said, letting his lower lip jut out in a playful pout.

"You weren't acting like an old man this morning," she said, the smile widening into a grin.

He ducked his head down to give her a kiss and then hit the buttons to start the machine. "We got an hour."

"I'd rather not get a ticket for public indecency," she replied primly.

Bucky laughed out loud, drawing the attention of the few other patrons in the Laundromat. "Not what I was getting at, doll."

"So what did you have in mind?" she drawled, putting her arms around his neck. "Usually if I have to come here on my own to wash the sheets or comforter, I bring a book and headphones to keep me occupied."

"'Cause I wasn't with you."

"True enough."

"And I'm not here enough."

"No, you're not."

"But I like it," he said, letting his hands run up and down her back. "The quiet bits. Breakfast and TV and reading stuff. Just sitting and _being._ I miss that."

"The normal stuff."

"Yeah. Besides the obvious, that's what I think about on a mission. Being able to sit still and hold onto you. Not even for the obvious," he added with a playful leer and waggle of his eyebrows. "The rest of it. Normal stuff."

"Or, at least the little taste of normal that we get."

"Exactly."

"You're a goofball."

 _"Your_ goofball."

She laughed, a low, throaty sound that she didn't often get a chance to use. "I missed you, too."

"Think we should make the babushkas happy?"

Natasha lofted an eyebrow at him and stepped back, arms falling at her sides while she gave him a pointed look. "If that's a proposal, you need work."

Bucky laughed again and shook his head. "I _meant,_ getting them pierogis or some Kiev cakes on our way back."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You just want them to stop whispering about you."

"Well, yeah."

"Yet you can take out a target at over a thousand feet."

"You don't mess with a grandma _ever,_ I know that much." He shot her a mischievous grin, as there were certainly plenty of WWII tales he had told her involving older ladies in Europe. "And especially not a babushka."

Giggling, she stepped back up to him and pulled his shirt down to give him a kiss. "Smart man."

"I love you, don't I?"

"Like I said, smart man." She kissed him again, then eyed the washing machine. "Forty minutes, then we swap it over to the dryer."

"Plenty of time to scope out the proper dessert."

"If you're getting them some Kiev cakes, you are definitely getting some for me."

"And bird's milk cake," he added with a grin.

"You're on," she replied with an answering grin, eyes sparkling. "And I know the perfect place to get them."

"Of course you do. You know everything."

"I only act like I know everything," she corrected. "But in this neighborhood? I know exactly where to go."

"Oceanview Café?" he guessed.

"My favorite," she said with a nod.

"See? I know you so well."

"Oh? And how am I going to suggest spending the next thirty-nine minutes?"

Bucky couldn't help smiling at her silly grin and the challenge in her eyes. "Well, there's the book store and the record shop..."

"There was this new one I've been meaning to read," she said, with a piercing smile, looping her arm through his. "But if you're around long enough to help me clean the apartment after we make a thorough mess of it, then I might have time to read it after all."

His eyes crinkled up at the corners with the size of his grin. "I happen to like making those messes, you know. And cleaning up is hardly effort at all. Let's go find this book you want, and see if there's a new one I want, too."

Sometimes, it was the little things that made it all worthwhile.

The End.


End file.
